Video Games are Going Retro

February 16, 2018

Source: upload.wikimedia.org

Are you ready to party like it’s 1989? That’s when Nintendo’s Game Boy and Prince of Persia, played on Apple II, were first released. Both are icons of the chunky tech of days gone by, and there’s a huge wave of nostalgia for them and other products from that era.

We’ve already seen successful comebacks from the Nokia 3310 and the Tamagotchi, as well as other fondly remembered gadgets. The release of Kodak’s smartphone/retro camera hybrid is a good example of how companies are bringing their best-loved products back, but with twists and updates that make them suitable for modern audiences. Video games are riding the wave too.

Updated Packaging and Consoles

The hugely successful Prince of Persia may soon be released on the Xbox One and PS4, with graphics and updates that we can only imagine, and Nintendo has already re-launched the NES Classic and SNES Classic in mini versions. In a clear illustration of how our modern world blends with growing hankerings for the simpler pleasures of yesterday, the trademark application that started the rumours of a Game Boy launch was found by a Japanese trademark bot, which then tweeted the discovery out.

However, even if Nintendo doesn’t re-release the Game Boy themselves, fans will get to play their old cartridges on a new console. At 2018’s Consumer Electronics Show, Hyperkin unveiled their own Ultra Game Boy. This will take original game cartridges, although none will be supplied with the console, and upgrades to the handset include an aluminium cover that is much sturdier than the original plastic, a backlit LCD display and stereo speakers – all of which should appeal to the more sophisticated audiences of today.

Will Nostalgia Peak with Nintendo and Prince of Persia?

While it’s true that the appeal of the old games is in their clever design as well as the reminiscence factor, the pull of fond memories cannot be ignored. Game designers of the past certainly did do incredible things within the limitations that they found themselves in – the old SNES cartridges had maximum capacities of just 4 MB – but their ingenuity could have unlimited charm with new players.

The out-dated graphics and levels that are actually harder to complete could mean that the biggest pull for retro games is nostalgia, and there may well be a saturation point for that. Prince of Persia was incredibly successful, with many later games released and it even spawned a relatively recent movie, while Nintendo has kept its fan base going with the release of modern consoles and games. Their releases are eagerly anticipated, but what about something like Atari?

Atari has also announced the release of a new console that will probably feature some old games, suggesting the company is hoping for a comeback. In contrast to Nintendo, however, Atari hasn’t released a new game in 20 years and some experts feel their games just won’t feel as relevant as Nintendo or Prince of Persia do, with their multi-generational followings.

Source: static.androidgame365.com

Online Casino Nostalgia Also Runs High

Online casinos are very sophisticated these days and, as with video games, new titles with the latest technological developments are rolled out all the time. But retro casino games, just like the video games of yesteryear, have also found a place. The very first progressive jackpot slot, Cash Splash, is, for example, still available today and still as popular as when it was released in 1998.

Source: slotcatalog.com

Live dealer games and incredible improvements in graphics and animations keep new games looking fresh, and online casinos certainly have come a long way from virtual blackjack games on huge, neon-green terminals. What’s stayed the same is the commitment of software developers and online casinos to deliver the best possible experiences to players, and the enthusiasm of the players themselves. Retro and modern games are served up in the best casino settings, and online and mobile gamblers lap them up!